Packages of cylindrical articles



Nov. 10, 1959 R. E. FINK 2,912,104

PACKAGES OF CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES Filed Sept. 22, 1958 FIG/l lulll r an.

United States Patent PACKAGES 0F CYLINDRICAL ARTICLES Raymond E. Fink, East Haven, Conn., assignor to The New Haven Board and Carton Company, New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application September 22, 1958, Serial N 0. 762,510

4 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) This invention relates to packages of cylindrical articles, such as cans, having a circumferential bead at each end and resides more particularly in a novel package including a carrier of the wrap-around type, which is simple in construction, can be readily applied to a row of articles, and holds the articles securely in place during transportation. The new carrier does not require the use of adhesive for securing together overlapping edges and, instead, makes use of simple locking means, which can be quickly closed and are held in such condition by the articles in the carrier.

In a form suitable for holding a plurality of cans in a single row, the carrier is made of a single blank formed with transverse fold lines and adapted to be wrapped about the row of cans. At one end, the blank is formed with an inner end wall panel and, at the other end, the blank terminates in a tongue, inward from which there is an outer end wall panel. When the blank is wrapped about a row of cans, the end wall panels lie in overlapped relation and the tongue extends along one vertical wall. The tongue has an end section, which has lateral wings and is receivable in an opening in the vertical wall, and, when the end section of the tongue has been passed through the opening, the wings engage the inner surface of the vertical wall at opposite sides of the opening and lock the end section in place. The opening is placed opposite the crevice between adjacent articles and, when the end section of the tongue has been inserted into the tongue of one blank to be formed of material lying within opening, it can be folded to a position, in which it is held by the articles.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blank for one form of the new carrier;

Fig. 2 is a view of the carrier on an enlarged scale in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

The blank 10 of Fig. l is formed at one end with a tongue 11 of tapering width and having an end section 12 separated from the remainder of the tongue by a transverse fold line 13. At each side, the end section is provided with a wing 14 separated from the tongue by a fold line. The tongue 11 is connected along a fold line 15 to one end of an outer end wall panel 16, the other end of which is connected along a fold line 17 to one end of a vertical wall 18. The other end of the wall 18 is connected along a fold line 19 to one end of an end wall 20 and the other end of the end wall is connected along a fold line 21 to one end of a second vertical wall 22. At its other end, the wall 22 is connected along a fold line 23 to one end of an inner wall panel 24. In the blank shown, the outer end wall panel 16 tapers in width for most of its length and the inner end wall panel 24 has a cutout 24a extending inward from its free edge. The formation of the panel 16 with the taper in width and the panel 24 with cutout 24a permits the outer end wall panel and the cutout 24a of the adjacent blank and thus effects a saving of paperboard.

In order to convert the blank into a carrier, the articles, such as a pair of cans indicated at 25, 26, are placed upon the inner end wall panel 24 and the blank is then folded on the lines 23, 21, 19, 17, and 15 to wrap the blank about the cans. The blank fits the cans tightly and, in order to hold the cans in place and prevent their dislodgement, a pair of U-shaped cuts 27 are formed to. cross the fold line 17 with the ends of the cuts lying in the outer end wall panel 16. The cuts thus define tongues 28 integral with the panel 16 and extending into the vertical wall 18. The end wall 20 is provided at one side with a pair of tongues 29, which extend into the vertical wall 18 and are defined by U-shaped cuts crossing the fold line 19, and a second pair of tongues 30 at its opposite side, which extend into the vertical wall 22 and are defined by U- shaped cuts crossing the fold line 21. The inner end Wall panel 24 is provided with a pair of tongues 31, which extend into the vertical wall 22 and are formed by U- shaped cuts crossing the fold line 23. The end wall formed of the inner end wall panel 24 and the outer end wall panel 16 and the second end wall 20 are slightly narrower than the diameter of a can across its head and, when the blank is wrapped about a pair of cans resting upon the inner end wall panel 24, pairs of slots are formed at the top and bottom of each vertical wall at the places where the tongues 28, 29, 30, and 31 have been removed from the walls, and the beads project into these slots.

In order that the blank may be held in folded condition about the cans, the vertical wall 22 is provided adjacent the fold line 23 with an opening 32, which is of proper shape and size to receive the end section 12 of the tongue when the wings 14 have been folded at an angle thereto. A flap 33 projects into the opening from the wall 22 and is secured to the edge of the opening along a fold line. The opening lies opposite the crevice C between the pair of cans and the end section 12 of the tongue is of such size and shape that, after it has been inserted through the opening 32, it can be pushed down to a position below the horizontal. In such movement of the end section, its wings 14 engage the sides of the cans frictionally and tend to prevent the tongue from rising. Also, as the end section is moved through the opening 32, it swings the flap 33 inward and, when the flap is released, it tends to spring back so as to overlie the end section as shown in Fig. 4. The flap thus resists any upward movement of the end section toward a position from which it could move outward through opening 32.

When the blank has been wrapped around the cans and the end section of its tongue inserted through the opening 32 to complete the holder, the cans are held firmly in place, since the walls of the holder are in tight contact with the sides and ends of the cans and the cans cannot be displaced accidentally from the holder, because of the portions of the beads of the cans lying in the slots in the vertical walls 18 and 22. The introduction of the end section of the tongue into the opening 32 connects the parts of the holder so that it cannot become released from the cans and the desired result is obtained without the use of adhesive.

I claim:

1. A package of cylindrical articles, such as cans, having circumferential beads at their opposite ends, which comprises a row of the articles and a carton enclosing them, the carton having an inner end wall panel in contact with the articles at one end thereof, a vertical wall connected to the inner end wall panel and in contact with the articles at one side thereof, an end wall connected to the vertical wall and in contact with the articles at the other end thereof, a second vertical wall connected to the end wall and in contact with the articles at the other side thereof, an outer end wall panel connected to the second vertical wall and overlying the inner end wall panel to form therewith a second end wall, and a tongue connected to the outer end wall panel and overlying the first vertical wall near its connection to the inner end wall panel, the tongue having an end section with folclable lateral wings and the first vertical wall having an opening lying opposite the crevice between a pair'of articles, and the end section of the tongue extending through the opening with its wings engaging the sides of articles defining the crevice and the inner surface of the first vertical wall on opposite sides of the opening.

2. The package of claim 1, in which the end section of the tongue is joined to the wings along fold lines con- 15 2,827,165

verging toward the free edge of the end section and the References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 'Grinspoon July 9, 1957 Gentry Mar. 18, 1958 

